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J.D. Lewis High School Fall League – Week 3

Another exciting Sunday full of young, talented basketball players at the J.D. Lewis Youth Center Fall High School Tournament has just passed. One of the things that’s really exciting about this tournament is that even though you have the talented players, there’s always the few that come out of the woodwork. Here are some of the kids that showed out this past week:

Smith is a scoring machine

Smith can do it all!

JaShaun Smith, a junior, of Garner High School (Garner, N.C.) is arguably one of the most exciting players in the tournament. Standing at 6’4″, Smith cannot only jump out the building, he has a soft touch around the basket.

His game consists of a steady jump shot inside the perimeter, good ball handling ability, finishing with his left hand, and absorbing contact when he goes to the basket. While there are bits and pieces that he can fine tune, as he continues to develop he will become unstoppable on the court.

Smith’s decision making is also impressive. He’s definitely a player that’s flying under the radar, but expect that to change for him this upcoming season. Oh, and one more thing, Smith is averaging 38 points a game in the tournament!!!

Kelley is as tough as they come.

Kelley squaring up for the shot

I’ve watched Greyson Kelley play just about all summer and he’s proved to be constant on one thing… tenacity! It is exhilarating to see a young player who has a good understanding of what it takes to be an effective player on the court.

Kelley, a junior at North Raleigh Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), is without question one of the toughest players in his class. It seems that no matter the task, he’s up for it – guard the biggest guy on the court, he’ll do it; dive on the floor for loose balls, he’ll do it; lock-up the best player on the other team, he’ll do it. Not only does Kelley give maximum effort for his team, he’s also an exceptional player.

Kelley has a sound jump shot, crafty ball handling (including a killer spin move) and can finish with contact. It’s pretty convincing that he will play a major role for his school this high school season.

Peterson getting ready to play D

Peterson knows how to get to the rack.

It’s always eye-catching when a kid not only knows how to get to the rim, but can finish. Word of God Christian Academy’s (Raleigh, N.C.) Tavares Peterson is that exact type of player. When he decides to attack, good luck trying to stop him!

Peterson, a junior, is proving to be uncontainable when he makes his move to get to the cup. He uses a combination of foot speed and handle to blow by his man. Peterson also knows how to employ his body to keep defenders on his hip as he finishes at the basket.

As he continues to build his confidence in his role as a floor general, along with working out the kinks in his jump shot, there will be no limits to his formidability. Peterson can ball with the best of them and as he progresses he will make a name for himself. I expect he will play a big role for Word of God this season.

Wingard on the move

Wingard does not run out of energy.

Try to keep up with Green Hope (Cary, N.C.) guard Robby Wingard if you can, but I’ll be honest with you, it will prove to be a difficult task. He’s like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going. To add to a high motor, Wingard is also a lights out shooter. If you give him any breathing room he’ll knockdown the jump shot right in your face. Wingard, a junior, is a reliable player who can put a team on his back and carry them to victory. Green Hope has a gem on their hands with this kid as they’ll always be able to count on him to give his all.

**Notable** While down 2 players (yes, it was literally 3 against 5) Maurice Wilcox kicked it into an extra gear. The Word of God Christian Academy guard displayed a level of poise and determination that lead him to score a total of 72 points on the day; dropping 46 points in the second game. Here’s a glimpse of one of his spectacular plays:

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